The present application relates generally to electric utility meters and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for use in switching electrical power.
Electric utility companies provide electricity to both residential and commercial customers. To monitor an electricity usage of customers, electric utility companies often install one or more electricity meters on customers' premises. Such electricity meters often measure an amount of current and/or power provided to the customer, and recently started to include a switch mechanism that enables power distribution to the customer to be terminated or commenced as needed. Electricity meters often must conform to one or more industry standards, such as those set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Such standards may impose restrictions upon utility meter design, such as required dimensions for a utility meter housing and/or an amount of current and/or voltage that a utility meter must be able to measure and withstand.
Most current meter implementations do not include a mechanism for an electric utility company to terminate or commence power distribution to a customer. Such a meter requires a technician to visit the customer premises and to physically remove or connect the meter to terminate or to commence power distribution as applicable. Such on-site visits may be costly and/or take a significant amount of time and/or money. Other known meters include a mechanism that enables an electric utility company to remotely terminate or commence power distribution to a customer. Such meters generally include a mechanical switch that requires a two-way communication device and a complex triggering mechanism to switch from a conducting to a non-conducting state.
At least some known residential, commercial and/or industrial electricity meters only operate on poly-phase power generated by electric utility companies. Because of industry standards and power requirements of such facilities, electricity meters may be unable to include a mechanical switch within its enclosure that enables the electric utility company to switch from a conducting to a non-conducting state. Other known electricity meters use solid state electronic switches to remotely connect and disconnect a customer's premises to and from the electric utility company's power distribution system, or grid. However, while in an “off” state, traditional solid state switches may exhibit a leakage current and have subsequent power losses. While in an “on” state, the same switches may exhibit additional power losses because of an on-state voltage drop across the solid state switch. Because of these power losses, traditional solid state switches may cause an undesirable buildup of heat within known electricity meters. Moreover, at least some known electricity meters are unable to reduce or eliminate fault currents that may flow through the meter.